Muggle Invention
by AshenMoon42
Summary: The Marauders go to Moony's house, and Sirius is, yet again, amazed by the imagination and skill of muggle invention.


**Here's a oneshot for the Pumpkin Pastie Eating Challenge on the Reviews Corner Forum. The prompt was - (dialogue)"One more spin and I'm going to vomit."**

 **"Let's give it another spin!"**

 **Cover is by atelienart/natello - that's not me. Credit to them, etc.**

 **Some Marauder friendship - this time we're introducing Sirius to the muggle world! Tell me how I did!**

Remus sprinted down the staircase, careful to leap over the pile of books his father had left at the bottom. He came to a halt in the living room, where the flames of the fireplace were crackling unnaturally loudly.

Staring in anticipation, he began to rock on the balls of his feet, growing more impatient with every passing minute. He really should be here by now, even if he had a reputation for tardiness.

And with that thought, in a burst of green sparks, a thirteen-year-old boy crawled out of the fireplace.

He grimaced when he saw the soot on his shirt, but grinned at Remus. "Alright, Moony?"

"Fine, Sirius. What about you?"

"Alright, I guess. Mother's being a nightmare." Sirius made another face at this, wrinkling his nose. "Am I first?"

"Yeah. Peter's coming at eleven, and James said he'd be here early. Should've known he'd forget."

"He's _James._ Of course he forgot."

James Potter turned up in the next few minutes, looking as disheveled as always, straightening his glasses as he rose to his feet. "Hello Remus, Sirius."

They talked about whatever came to mind for the next hour: the Transfiguration essay, the start-of-term prank, the newest additions to the Map, James' new obsession with Lily Evans that Sirius had noticed, the last full moon, and Quidditch. Each sentence seemed to include another horrifically bad joke, which Sirius laughed at every time, James laughed at most times, and Remus hardly laughed at at all.

"How can that even be called a joke, Sirius? It's just weird."

Sirius barked a laugh at Remus' comment. "Weird? Never. I thought it was witty."

"Tell that to a Ravenclaw."

James rolled his eyes. "Personally, I thought it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

Sirius stared at James in confusion while Remus made a face.

"Will you _ever_ stop using that word? Mary Poppins uses it sparingly. You, however, are throwing it around in every sentence."

"I'll only when you stop eating chocolate truffles."

This time Remus ignored his friend, jumping up and looking at the fireplace. "Pete's here."

Sure enough, the flames shoe green again, and a plump boy shot out of the hearth. He blinked. "Hello."

"Hey Pete," Sirius said, "Tell Remus how witty this joke is…"

It was the summer before third year, and the Marauders had gathered for yet another day of mischief.

They spent the hours before lunch examining the upgraded Map and pondering the subject of the start-of-term prank. Sirius, it seemed, had spent the first three weeks of summer locked in his room. James had already been to four Quidditch matches in various parts of England, and Peter had been visiting his great-aunt in Ireland. Remus had done nothing other than visit James and wander around the nearby muggle village.

Lunch itself was a brief twenty-five minutes, in which Mr and Mrs Lupin met Sirius for the first time, and they found themselves amazed by the energy Remus' friend possessed.

"Mum, can we go to the village?" Remus asked.

"Of course. Do try to fit in, though. We don't want nosy neighbours knocking on our door to ask about the flying broomsticks again, do we?"

Moony was grinning, "Yes. Thanks!"

* * *

"One more spin and I'm going to vomit."

"Let's give it another spin!"

James, Remus and Peter were laughing. Sirius was not.

"Seriously, guys. My poor, poor stomach. I ate too much of your mum's stew, Remus."

James snorted, "Serves you right for being a pig."

They were at the muggle playground, on the roundabout. It was tiny - barely big enough for the four of them - with sunshine yellow handlebars. Sirius had insisted they all go on, and now he was regretting it.

"A pig? Watch who you're calling a pig, Potter. Remember Hallowe'en?"

James rolled his eyes, and instead of answering, he stuck his foot out and used it to push them faster.

Sirius immediately paled again, pulling into the middle to avoid falling off.

The muggles were looking at them in amusement. Couldn't they see he was being killed on this thing? But as James spun it again, their smiling faces blurred together into a swirl of colour.

The world spun faster and faster around them, and Sirius' head ached. The wind tore at his clothes, his hair, and it was so fast he was going to fall … Sirius had to remind himself he was on a roundabout, not a rollercoaster. There was literally zero percent chance of death on this thing.

Then James and Remus both pushed harder, wiping all thoughts of good health from Sirius' mind.

"I'm going to _die_ on this muggle torture device _."_

Remus laughed, "Spin it again!"

Sirius had decided he didn't like muggle inventions.

* * *

"Are you sure that used no magic at _all?"_

"Pretty sure, Peter."

"Really?" Sirius asked. "I bet you some wizard made it."

"No, Sirius. I'm sure it's a muggle invention." Remus sighed.

"It is," said James, "My cousin told me, and she's now got an O in Muggle Studies N.E. ."

"Blimey. Smart muggle."

The four had watched a movie at the cinema. Three of them had stared in wonder at the moving picture, while Remus - having been many times before - just laughed at his friends.

Sirius continued to question Remus. "But how could a photo move without magic? I thought muggle pictures were stationary."

He was shocked beyond belief that muggles had such imagination and skill.

* * *

"What is _that?"_

"That is a motorcycle."

"A motorcycle. It's so _fast._ I want one. No, I need one."

"Sirius…"

"No, really, Remus. _Look at it go."_

Sirius was suddenly filled with yearning. The motorcycle had already gone, but it moved with such speed, such awesome power that appealed to Sirius in a strange way. He wanted to sit on that seat, gripping the handlebars, and cruise along the road. Maybe he could adjust it, make it even faster, or so it could fly-

"C'mon Sirius. We have to get back."

Sirius walked back with the others in a sort of trance, dreaming of a motorcycle of his own. It would be gleaming and silver, with a really big loud engine. He'd make it fly - he was sure of that now - and he'd use it instead of any other transport. Who needed any other way to travel? It was the same speed as any common broomstick, and it looked cooler too.

Sirius Black was, yet again, amazed by the inventions of muggles.


End file.
